Pssssst….wanna go somewhere fun? I have just the place for you. Pagel’s Pub and Grub on Highway F, about 15 minutes past Fleet Farm. With a beautiful view of Rib Mountain, this place has something for everyone.

The first thing you’ll notice as you enter is the sparkling clean bar and dining area. Jack, the owner, is one of the most customer oriented restaurateurs I have ever met. He has the knack of making his customers feel very welcome and appreciated. For me, that means the food will be prepared with care and the service will be great.

With ample seating in the bar and the dining room, Jack offers up a menu that covers the gamut. Appetizers include fried dill pickles, hand-cut fries and spinach artichoke dip among many others. Each day has its own set of hearty meaty specials like Bourbon Street Baby Back Ribs, Broasted Chicken and Pork Shank with Grill Seared Sauerkraut. Homemade pizzas and a nice selection of sandwiches and burgers round it all out.

My dining companions and I made our way to Pagel’s on a Sunday afternoon and learned that we were lucky enough to have picked “Free Soup Sundays.” Nice.

Several diners ordered the Feathers-n-Bones: a quarter rack of perfectly cooked ribs with a tangy and delicious barbecue sauce alongside a quarter of marinated juicy and flavorful broasted chicken. I opted for the pork shank with kraut as I love both of those things. Each entrée comes with a choice of potato (I highly recommend the garlic ranch mashed or the warm German potato salad), garlic bread and creamed corn.

I believe that our server, Lori, never needs to worry about going to the gym to lift weights since each of those plates must have weighed five pounds. I guarantee you won’t go home hungry from Pagel’s!

The ribs were very good. Cooked to that magic place where they are tender but not mushy and give the diner a bit of texture to the chew. The chicken was crispy on the outside and just as moist as could be on the inside. It tasted as good as it looked. My jumbo pork shank was rich and tender and delicious, and I really liked that it was served with a side of pan sauce for dipping. The grilled sauerkraut was just acidic enough to cut the richness of the pork and it was very tasty. The REAL mashed potatoes were just like mom used to make with a pool of butter in the middle of the volcano. I would go back just for the creamed corn. And yes, the garlic bread was not run of the mill either.

I am known to have a hearty appetite, but I came home with enough food for another entire meal. I love that Pagel’s is unassuming, warm and friendly and people feel good before and especially after they have had their meal.

Good food, plenty of it and, best of all, the prices are very reasonable. Well done!